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Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi

by Ganganatha Jha | 1920 | 1,381,940 words | ISBN-10: 8120811550 | ISBN-13: 9788120811553

This is the English translation of the Manusmriti, which is a collection of Sanskrit verses dealing with ‘Dharma�, a collective name for human purpose, their duties and the law. Various topics will be dealt with, but this volume of the series includes 12 discourses (adhyaya). The commentary on this text by Medhatithi elaborately explains various t...

Verse 11.118 [Expiation for the Immoral Religious Student (avakīrṇa)]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

अवकीर्णी तु काणे� गर्दभे� चतुष्पथे �
पाकयज्ञविधानेन यजेत निरृति� निशि � ११� �

īṇ� tu kāṇena gardabhena catuṣpathe |
첹ⲹñԱԲ yajeta nirṛti� niśi || 118 ||

The immoral religious student shall offer, at night, to ṛt, on the crossway, a one-eyed ass, in the manner of the �첹ⲹñ.’�(118)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

īṇa� means the breaking, by the Religious Student, of the vow of celibacy,�i.e., sexual intercourse, an ‘immorality�; one who has done this is �īṇ�,� ‘the immoral religious student�

This is going to be described (under 120) as—‘the intentional emission of semen.�

One-eyed ass’—This lays down the material to be used at the sacrifice, along with its qualification.

On the cross-way.’—This lays down the place of the sacrifice.

At night.’—This lays down the time of the sacrifice.

To ṛt.’—This lays down the deity of the sacrifice.

In the manner of the 첹ⲹñ.’—This prescribes the procedure to be adopted at the sacrifice.

“As a matter of fact all animal-sacrifices have for their archetype the Ծṣṭdz; as is clear from the fact that they can only be accomplished by means of the animal-sacrifices at this latter sacrifice—[so that the said sacrifice of the ass must follow the procedure of the Agnistoma, and not of the 첹ⲹñ.]�

True; but the same Ծṣṭdz is the archetype of the ‘첹ⲹñ� also; and it can be performed only when the agent is prompted by the desire for those rewards that follow from that sacrifice. Then again, it has been declared that ‘the animal also flows, and milk also flows� [so that there is a distinct similarity between the Animal Sacrifice and the 첹ⲹñ offerings of milk].

첹ⲹñ’� is a name applied to the ٲśūṇa and other similar sacrifices.�(118)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in ʲś󲹱 (Prāyaścitta, p. 436);—in վԲٲ (p. 507);—in ṇaⲹԻ (p. 191);—in īٰǻ岹ⲹ (Saṃskāra, p. 554);—in (p. 1140), which notes that what is emphasised here is (a) that the ass should be one-eyed, and (b) that the entire procedure of the 첹ⲹñ sacrifice laid down in ṛhⲹūٰ should be carried out;—in Ѳ岹Բٲ (p. 909), which explains �첹ⲹñԱԲ� as the entire procedure consisting of the �Parisam ū hana� and �ʲܰṣaṇa� and ending with the ‘Principal offerings� to ٲ and the other deities;—it notes that the ‘night� meant is that of 屹ṣy day;—and in ṛtǻ (p. 363).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 11.118-123)

ñⲹ (3.280).—‘The Student becomes an īṇi by approaching a woman; he becomes purified by offering an ass to ṛt.�

վṣṇ (37.35).—‘Criminals of the fourth degree shall perform the Իⲹṇa or ʲ첹 penances, or shall sacrifice a cow.�

Do. (28.48-51).—‘A voluntary emission of semen by a twice-born youth during the period of his studentship has been pronounced a transgression of the rule prescribed for students. Having loaded himself with this sin, he must go begging to seven houses, clothed only with the skin of the cow, and proclaiming his deed; eating once only a meal consisting of the alms received at those houses, and bathing three times, he becomes absolved from guilt at the end of one year. After an involuntary emission of semen during sleep, the twice-born student must bathe, worship the sun and recite, three times, the mantra “Again shall my strength return to me, etc.Ũ�

Gautama (23.17-20).—‘A Student who has broken the vow of chastity shall offer an ass to ṛt on the cross-road. Putting on the skin of that ass, with the hair turned outside, and holding a red vessel in bis hands, he shall beg at seven houses, proclaiming his deed. He will be purified after a year. For an involuntary discharge caused by fear or sickness, or during sleep, he shall make an offering of clarified butter, or place two pieces of fuel in the fire reciting the two verses beginning with �Retasya.Ũ�

Do. (25.1-2).—‘They say.—How many gods does a Student enter who violates the vow of chastity?—They announce—His vital spirits go to the Maruts, his strength to Indra, his sacred learning to Bṛhaspati, all the rest to Agni.�

ܻⲹԲ (2.1.30-35).—‘A Student approaching a woman is called Āīṇi;—he shall offer an ass as the sacrificial animal; the sacrificial meat-cake shall be offered to ṛt, or to 鲹ṣa, or to Yama. Or, he may heap fuel on the fire on the night of the New Moon, perform the preparatory rites required for the Darvihoma, and offer two oblations of clarified butter. After he has made the offering, he shall address the fire, closely joining his hands, turning sideways, with the following texts “May the Maruts grant me, etc., etc.Ũ�

Ā貹ٲ (1.26.8-9).—‘A Student who has broken the vow of chastity shall offer to ṛt an ass, according to the manner of the 첹ⲹñ rites,—a Śūdra eating the remnants of that offering.�

ղśṣṭ (23.1-3).—‘If a Student has approached a woman, he shall slay in the forest, at a place where four roads meet, an ass for the 鲹ṣa, after kindling a common fire. Or, he may offer an oblation of rice to ṛt. He shall throw the oblations with the mantra—“To Lust , etc.Ũ�

Pāraskara-ṛhⲹūٰ (3.12.1-3, 6-8).

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